Pocket lighter



Dec. 16, 1969 P. WEISSMANN ROCKET LIGHTER 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed April 15, 1969 F1653. We*

INVENTOR PETE/l WE/SSMA/VN m@ n@ ATTONEYS Dec. 16, 1969 P. walssMANN 3,484,173

RocxET LIGHTER Filed April 15, 1968 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 |NVENT0R PETER' WEISS/YANN ATTQRNEYS Patented Dec. 16, 1969 POCKET LIGHTER Peter Weissmann, Nuremberg, Germany, assigner to Gebruder Kollisch AG, Nuremberg, Germany Filed Apr. 15, 1968, Ser. No. 721,411

Claims priority, application Germany, July 13, 1967,

Int. Cl. A24 47/00 ILS. Cl. 431--276 4 Claims ABSTRACT F' THE DISCLOSURE A downwardly tapered gas pocket lighter with a flint wheel assembly on the upper end adjacent a gas valve nozzle with a spring-biased clip for connecting the lighter to the users pocket, pivoted to the upper portion of the lighter and having an extension engaged beneath the normally closed gas nozzle to move it axially to allow gas to escape therefrom and be ignited by the flint wheel assembly when the clip is moved laterally against the body of the lighter. A rell valve is provided with an opening in the opposite terminal end of the lighter and a pipestopper member with an enlarged end portion is removably connected in the opening. In a modified form a ballpoint pen is removably connected in the opening.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Gas pocket lighters which are known in the prior art and which provide some type of pipe-stopper mechanism have, in the past, normally provided such a pipe-stopper mechanism constructed to be withdrawn from the lighter for use as a pipe-stopper. This combination provides a bulky and rather heavy type structure which requires two hands to use, when using the pipe-stopper.

Gas pocket lighters are also known in the prior art which have a large pivoted cap portion covering the entire top of the lighter and which automatically opens the gas valve when the cap is pivoted to one side to uncover the top of the lighter. However, this also provides a rather bulky lighter construction. The pocket lighter of the present invention overcomes the bulkiness provided by both of the above-mentioned features and provides a very slim gas lighter comparable to the size of a fountain pen with a novel gas valve opening mechanism and a novel pipe-stopper structure.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention provides a downwardly tapered gas-fueled pocket lighter having a lilling valve with an access aperture on the lower terminal end, in which aperture a removable pipe-stopper member is connected which has a cross sectional dimension greater than the cross sectional dimension of the terminal end of the lighter. In a modified form a ball-point pen is removably connected in the access opening in lieu of the pipe-stopper, whereby the pocket lighter is an end extension of the pen portion. The pen and the pipe-stopper member can be detached from the access aperture to rell the lighter. The upper end of the lighter is provided with a normally closed gas burner nozzle valve of the type known in the art which is opened to allow the escape of gas therefrom for ignition, by outward axial movement of the nozzle by rotation of a nozzle control wheel also used to adjust the height of the ame. A spring-biased clip normally biased away from the body of the lighter is provided at the upper end for attaching the lighter to the edge of a pocket, or the like, similar to a pen. The clip is pivotally connected at the top of the lighter and has an extended portion which engages the lower end of the nozzle to move the nozzle axially upwardly when the clip is engaged by the nger of the user and moved against the side of the lighter body, thereby allowing gas to emit from the nozzle and be ignited by a flint wheel assembly of the usual type. The lighter thus requires no cap portion which must be removed before the lighter can be operated, and when the lighter is not being used and is clipped to the pocket of the user, the clip which operates the gas valve is retainedi outwardly by the edge of the pocket portion disposed between the lighter body and the clip as well as the biasing force of the spring to prevent any undesirable escape Of gas `from the nozzle.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of the pocket lighter of the invention;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged vertical sectional view of a fragmentary portion of FIG. 1, showing the foot of the pocket lighter;

FIG. 3 is a side elevational view of a modied form of the invention and particularly showing the pocket lighter connected with a ball-point pen;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged view partially in section and partly in side elevation of the center part of the pocket lighter-pen combination of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a longitudinal or vertical section view, on an enlarged scale, of the pocket lighter of the invention with the clasp shown in neutral position;

FIG. 6 is a cross-section view taken substantially along line VI-VI of FIG. 5; and

FIG. 7 is a side elevation view in partial section showing the pocket lighter with the clasp in ignition position.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Referring to the drawings in greater detail, the downwardly tapered conical pocket lighter of the invention consists of a sealed tank 4 with a spring-biased filling valve 3 securely connected in the lower terminal end of tank 4 so as to be accessible for reiilling from the bottom of the tank. The tank and valve combination is fitted inside a tapered sleeve member, having an open top, which forms the outer body portion 1 of the lighter and is secured in the bottom portion by means of screw member 2 having a. threaded lug portion extending into screw threaded engagement with the threaded opening of iiller valve 3. The screw 2 has a central bore 6 through its lug portion, which bore is internally threaded, as indicated at 5. This bore 6 provides an access opening for iilling valve 3 to enable the gas lighter to be iilled with fuel.

As indicated in FIGS. 1 and 2, a plug member 7, having an upwardly extending threaded lug portion 9 is removably screwed into the threaded bore l6 of screw 2. Plug member 7 is provided with a preferably iiat bottom portion 8 having a diameter greater than the diameter of the lower extremity of outer body portion 1 and of a diameter to -iit within the bowl of a pipe, so as to serve as a pipe-stopper. The pipe-stopper plug member 7 also serves as an enlarged Vfoot portion to enable the lighter to stand unsupported on a flat surface when desired.

As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, in lieu of the pipe-stopper plug member 7 a ball-point pen 40, of the usual type well known in the art, terminating in a pen operating member 40a, is removably connected in the threaded bore 6 of screw 2 in lieu of the pipe-stopper plug member 7. Operating member 40a is provided with an upwardly extending threaded lug portion 61 which is screwed into the internally threaded bore 6 of screw 2 until operating member 4l) is disposed in abutment with the lower edge of screw 2. In order to ll or reiill the sealed tank 4 of the pocket lighter, whichever form of the invention is utilized, the threaded lug portion '9 of the pipe-stopper plug member 7, or the threaded lug portion 61 of the ball-point pen 40, is unscrewed from the threaded bore 6, uncovering the filling Valve 3, thus making it accessible for filling operation. After the lighter is filled the threaded lug portion is again screwed into the threaded bore 6, thus covering the valve and making it inaccessible to tampering.

As shown more particularly in FIGS. 5-7 the top of sealed tank 4 is provided with a burner valve assembly of the type having a burner nozzle 30 which is nor mally biased to closed position by means, not shown. The burne-r valve assembly is of the type known in the art wherein nozzle 30 is movable axially away from the burner Valve 15 to open the valve and allow gas to escape therefrom, and is normally biased toward valve 15 to maintain the valve in the closed position and prevent the undesirable escape of gas. The burner valve assembly 15 also includes a rotatable Wheel 46 connected heneath nozzle 30 and operatively connected in the valve assembly to `raise and lower valve 30 relative to the main burner valve 15 when it is rotated respectively in opposite directions. The operative mechanism for wheel 46 is known in the art and is therefore not disclosed in detail and it may, for instance, consist of a threaded connection between the wheel and burner valve 15, Whereby when the wheel is rotated, for example, in a counterclockwise direction, it moves axially outwardly from the burner Valve, abuts the bottom edge of nozzle 30, and moves the nozzle axially outwardly from the burner valve. As will be understood from the following description, rotatable wheel 46 is used for adjusting the height of the flame of the pocket lighter after the lighter has been ignited.

The main body of burner valve assembly 15 is connected inside tank 4 and is disposed in sealing engagement with the top portion of the tank, with wheel 46 and nozzle 30 disposed above the top Wall of the tank with the Wheel extending through a slot in the side wall of outer body portion 1. A spark ignition assembly 80 is connected adjacent burner valve assembly 15, and is slip-fitted into a receptacle 16, disposed in sealing engagement with the top wall of tank 4 and extending interior of tank 4 adjacent the burner valve. The spark ignition assembly is of the usual type in which its elongated body portion, which iits into receptacle 16, contains an adjustable flint which is biased into operative engagement with flint wheel I60 rotatable on axle '70 supported on the upper end of the assembly. The liint wheel 60 is disposed in alignment with nozzle 30, such that rotation of the flint wheel directs a spark toward the nozzle.

A clip member 12, for connecting the pocket lighter to a portion of clothing or the like, such as the users pocket, or to the users tie as a tie clip, since the lighter is relatively small in dimensions, etc., extends longitudinally down one side of the lighter, preferably opposite Wheel 46, with its lower terminal edge turned upon itself to engage one end of a leaf spring 13 which extends longitudinally of the clip member and engages the outer wall of outer body portion 1 for normally urging clip 12 away from body portion 1. The upper end of clip member 12 is turned inwardly, preferably at obtuse angles and forms a nozzle lifter portion y9 which is bifurcated, having arms 10 and 11 engaged at their outer ends around the ybase of burner nozzle 3l) between the nozzle and wheel 46. The inner ends of arms 10 and 11 provide an opening 17 somewhat larger than the diameter of spark ignition assembly 80, through Which the spark ignition assembly extends to connect the clip to the lighter. This construction forms a pivot connection between clip member 12 and the lighter through the structure of opening 17 and spark ignition assembly 8G. The structure is completed by a decorative type cap closing the top end of outer body portion 1 by means of a friction type coupling, which cap has an opening through which a portion of tiint wheel '60 protrudes for easy op eration and having an opening in registration with nozzle 30 through which the ame is projected.

The pocket lighter is operated by grasping the lighter in one hand and partially encircling the lighter with the lingers, pressing clip 12 laterally inwardly toward and against outer `body portion 1. As the clip pivots toward the body portion the bifurcated end thereof 10, 11 on the opposite side of the pivot connection 17, 8i) moves nozzle 3i) axially upwardly, opening burner valve assembly 15 and aLlowing gas to escape therethrough from tank 4. Upon manual operation of iiint wheel 60 with the thumb of the same hand, a spark is produced and the escaping gas is ignited to produce a flame, extending upwardly through the opening in the top cover portion. The height of the tiame can then be adjusted by rotation ct' wheel 46, in either one direction or the other, to increase or decrease the size of the frame. When the spring bias clip 12 is released by the fingers, valve nozzle 30 moves axially downwardly toward the body of burner valve 15. automatically closing the valve and extinguishing the ame. The leaf spring 13 of the clip thus normally operates the clip to urge the gas valve to its closed position` which is a desirable safety feature, and when the clip is used to connectthe lighter to the users pocket, tie. boot, or other article of clothing, the introduction of a portion of clothing between clip 12 and `body portion l and beneath spring member 13, further assures any undesirable operation of valve 15 and its nozzle 30, thus insuring against undesirable escape of gas from the valve, since the valve operator is essentially locked in a position by the clothing as well as by the biasing force of leaf spring 13, which maintains the valve in its cut olf position. In the form in which a pen is connected to the lighter the clip further cooperates with the ball-point pen in the usual manner for securing the pen as well as the lighter to the users pocket, etc.

While the invention has been shown and described in certain preferred embodiments, it is realized that modiiications can be made, and it is to be understood that no limitations upon the invention are intended other than those imposed by the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A pocket safety gas lighter for attachment to an article of clothing or the like when not in use, comprising a downwardly tapered, relatively narrow, outer body portion having an open upper end portion, a fuel container connected in said body portion, burner valve means connected in communication with said fuel container, said burner valve means including a hollow nozzle connected thereto for upward axial movement to open said burner valve means and downward axial movement to close said burner valve means, said hollow nozzle extending upwardly through the open upper end portion of said body portion, a spark ignition assembly connected to said fuel container and extending through the open upper end portion of said body portion adjacent said hollow nozzle, an attaching clip of relatively thin construction having a first relatively long clip portion extending adjacent lone side of said outer body portion in outwardly spaced relation thereto, said attaching clip having a second relatively short nozzle lighter portion extending generally at an angle greater than from said first clip portion and extending across the open upper end portion of said body portion, said nozzle lifter por tion having a terminal end operatively engaging said nozzle and means connecting said attaching c'ip for pivotal movement relative to said outer body portion, whereby said attaching clip is adapted to engage an article of clothing or the like between said first clip portion and said outer body portion to safely maintain said burner valve means in closed position during nonuse and upon disengagement from said article of clothing or the like said first clip portion beinfy movable laterally toward said outer body portion to axially move said nozzle upwardly with said nozzle lifter portion to open said burner valve means.

2. A pocket gas lighter as set forth in claim 1, including a leaf spring connected between said outer body portion and said irst clip portion to normaliy urge said attaching clip away from said outer body portion and maintain said nozzle and burner valve means in closed position.

3. A pocket gas lighter as set forth in claim 1 in which said nozzle lifter portion is movably connected to said spark ignition assembly to form a pivot connection for said clip attaching.

4. A pocket gas lighter as set forth in claim 1 in which said nozzle lifter portion has a `bifurcated terminal end, said nozzle having a lower surface portion engaged by said bifurcated terminal end, and said means connecting said attaching clip for pivotal movement comprising an aperture in said nozzle litter portion adjacent its point of connection With said first clip portion,

said spark ignition assembly extending loosely through said aperture pivotally connecting said attaching clip to said lighter.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,267,076 12/1941 Burchett 431-140 2,577,122 12/1951 Harris et al. 431-139 3,122,907 3/1964 Gilberton 431--143 3,220,420 11/1965 Genoud 431-253 X EDWARD I. MICHAEL, Primary Examiner U.S. Cl. X.R. 431-343 

